This invention relates in general to paging systems and more particularly to such systems with acknowledge-back capabilities. In the disclosed system an arrangement is provided to aid the wearer or user as to whether, following a first, automatic acknowledge-back response is made, a separate and additional acknowledge-back signal is required and if so, when to send it and when not to send it. The system also advises the originating caller as to whether the intended message was successfully received or not.
Paging systems have progressed over the years in both frequency and extent of usage as well as complexity. They have indeed become an indispensable tool for business. In addition, many different types of paging receivers have been developed. There are tone-only pagers, as well as tone and voice and, of more recent vintage the display pager which is capable of receiving data messages and displaying the same in appropriate alphanumeric form. Moreover, the mechanisms for originating the paging messages are likewise many and varied. A call may be made by voice using a standard telephone unit, or such call may be made by a specialized paging terminal or video display terminal.
All the foregoing different types of paging receivers may be intermixed in a single system, or such system may be populated by only a single type of paging receiver. In any event, for those receivers which are capable of an acknowledge-back feature, there are steps in the procedure which may well intend to confuse such user. For example, the user may not be confident as to whether or not a separate manual response is expected. If so when to press the acknowledge-back button is a further concern because it must be effected within a predetermined time window.
From the originating call side, i.e., the base station site, as well as for the originating caller, the question is, did the pager/user, upon being addressed (called), receive such address and is he/she in a position/condition to receive and understand the intended message to follow. For example, the paging receiver may be sitting on a desk by itself remote from the location of the person or user. In this case, the pager itself, if turned on, is capable of receiving paging calls, but the pager user is not, because he or she is at some other location. Similarly, the paging receiver may be in a battery charger and likewise capable of receiving and indicating an automatic acknowledge-back signal, but the user is not in a position to receive the intended message. Further, the pager may be on the person of the user and capable of momentarily receiving a signal and responding with an automatic acknowledge-back signal, but moments later having the propagation path degraded by a steel beam in an office building or the like. Sending an intended message at that particular juncture would mean the same would simply be lost.
Accordingly, it will be seen that notwithstanding a pager's capability of automatically acknowledging back a response signal to a receive address call, there is indeed a good deal of uncertainly and, in some cases, confusion regarding the users responsibility, and the paging system with such automatic acknowledge-back capability, in terms of what further response is expected from him/her as well as what time it is to be effected. Further, there is also some uncertainty at the central or base-site location from where a page is transmitted and particularly with respect to the originator of the call regarding whether or not the pager user being called is ready and capable of receiving, or has received and understood a particular transmitted message. Notwithstanding the fact that an address was transmitted and received by the pager being called and an automatic acknowledge-back signal being sent, the central station/telephone caller originating the call needs to know that a response has been effected by the pager user, whether it be an affirmative or a negative response. An "affirmative acknowledge" response indicates the user has received the message and has duly responded; a negative response indicates confirmation is lacking.